Those accused of murdering city councilman are on trial.

Alagoas 247 - Three defendants accused of planning and executing the ambush of Anadia councilor Luiz Ferreira, in September 2011, will sit in the dock this Thursday (16). The trial begins at 8 am and will be presided over by the presiding judge of the 8th Criminal Court of Maceió, John Silas, at the Capital Forum. 

According to the Court of Justice of Alagoas (TJ/A), the defendants Alessander Leal, Tiago dos Santos Campos, and Ewerton Santos Almeida will be judged by a jury in this first phase. They are accused of being the mastermind and perpetrators of the crime, respectively. There is no date yet set for the other defendants.

The then-mayor of Anadia, Sânia Tereza, - wife of Alessander Leal -, was indicted by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Alagoas (MPE/AL) for the crime of aggravated homicide and forming a criminal gang. 

According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the main motivation for Luiz Ferreira's murder was "to destroy evidence." She was the target of an investigation by the City Council into alleged irregularities. Luiz Ferreira was one of the key figures behind the vote that could have removed the mayor from office.  

The Public Prosecutor's Office's indictment was based on an investigation conducted by the Civil Police which, among other measures, broke the telephone secrecy of the couple and found evidence of intense phone calls between the criminal group in the days leading up to the councilman's murder. 

The case

Luiz Ferreira de Souza, 61, was murdered with several gunshots as he returned to Anadia after hosting a radio program in the city of Maribondo. During the program, the councilman had announced his candidacy for mayor of Anadia in the next election, while also criticizing local politics.

The weapon used in the crime was a 9mm pistol, and most of the shots hit the victim in the head. 

With gazetaweb.com